Hold the Date!

August 2            Fall Program Guide

August 16          Registration starts/Building opens

August 17          Volunteer Orientation (Morning Session)

August 19          Volunteer Orientation (Afternoon Session)

August 24–26  Welcome Back Week

September 7     Clubs/Circles begin

September 13    Fall Programs begin

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

 

A New Reality (a.k.a. the new normal?)

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     Preparing and planning for our future, especially retirement, has been drilled into us by our parents, employers, bankers and various media. None of that generic advice gave a hint of a worldwide pandemic. No way could the average person have expected the chain of events of the past 16 months.

     

     But here we are, coping the best we can; forming opinions and creating our own truths and offering strategies with 20/20 hindsight; playing the Monday morning quarterback; criticizing and or supporting our civic, provincial and federal leaders – both medical and political. All the while, feeling sad, bored, alone, confused, puffy and scared. But that’s about to change because of vaccines!

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    Hi ho, hi ho... said Snow White’s dwarfs. And that’s just what we’re doing. Our admin team is again planning another season of activities at the Centre. We’ve had a lot of practice with this over the year and a half, and without knowing what the exact health and safety protocols will be in September, we’re moving ahead with a full opening of Circles (clubs), drop-ins, and programs. We may have to adjust some details as we get closer to the start date, and we’ll do our part to keep you informed.

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     To that end, we aim to have the Fall 2021 program guide available at the beginning of August, with registration opening a few weeks later. Just a reminder that your 2020 membership was rolled over into 2021, and you may have a refund credit in your ‘wallet’ for cancelled programs from March 2020. You can call us or log into your account for this information.

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     In planning the fall, we took regular programs, merged them with COVID influences, added some desires and requests of our members and mixed in a dash of best practices and have come up with a guide that will accommodate and satisfy the majority of our members. We ask you to keep in mind that we are in a different place because of the pandemic and will evaluate for future seasons.

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     Circles (clubs) will start the week of September 7 and regular program the week of September 13. You will notice some changes to the sport clubs in particular as we adjust to some of the pragmatic operational influences of the pandemic. We are trying to accommodate and satisfy as many members as possible while anticipating (post?) COVID regulations, and will evaluate these plans as we go along.

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    Hopefully, 2022 will bring with it a more familiar and ‘normal’ routine. We are sincerely looking forward to getting back into the building and seeing you again in September.

 

Susan Mann and the CLSA Administrative Team

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A Quick Update on Our Reopening Plans

 

Summer is officially here! We hope you are making the most of the hot weather and are enjoying the sunshine between the rain!

 

“Welcome Back” Week in the Works

 

In response to Alberta’s 3-stage reopening plan, we are working on our own plans to reopen the fitness centre and run a few courses and clubs as a “Welcome Back” session as soon as possible. This will be a chance for us all to get back into the swing of things for fall. We’ll keep you posted when plans are confirmed. For now, please keep an eye out for our future emails and updates on our website.

 

Fall Program Guide, Registration Dates, and Memberships

 

The Program Guide will be posted on our website and sent out at the start of August. Members without email will receive their catalogues through Canada Post. Fall registration and memberships will be available online and in-person on August 16th. Staff will be back for in-person registration August 16 to 27; Mon-Wed, 10–2 p.m.

 

Membership Rates will be Pro-rated for the Remainder of the Year

 

Starting in September, new 55+ memberships can be purchased at a pro-rated fee of $20. The fee will decrease by $5 each month until December 2021. Please remember to check your online registration account as you may have a rolled over membership from last year already in your “wallet”.

 

Health Protocols and Policies

 

As the public health situation continues to improve, we remain cautiously optimistic about our reopening plans and will continue to follow the most up-to-date recommendations made by AHS and the City of Edmonton. Our health policies will follow the advice of AHS and will be updated and shared with everyone closer to our reopening date.

 

Until we see you next, be well, and enjoy the start of summer!

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2021 Membership Rollovers and Pricing

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All valid 2020 memberships purchased from January to March last year have been automatically rolled over into 2021 memberships. Memberships and Reciprocal Memberships that were purchased from September to December will be credited to your account. Accepted rollovers will assume consent to the CLSA code of conduct and liability waiver.

 

New 2021 55+ memberships will be available for a pro-rated annual fee of $20. The fee will decrease by $5 each month until December 2021. Please remember to check your online registration account as you may have a rolled-over membership from last year already in your “wallet”.

 

Under 55 memberships will be available at a pro-rated fee of $50, and Community Memberships (Reciprocal Memberships) will remain $5. Memberships will be available for purchase in-person and online starting August 16th.

 

CLSA requests that members sign in to their online membership accounts prior to the spring session to confirm and update account information, including emergency contacts. If you purchased a Membership in 2020 your account has already been created for you.

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An Important Note on Club Fees

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Credits for club fees from 2020 have been issued to your “Wallet,” which can be found in your account on our online registration system. These credits will remain on your account until you decide to use them for next year’s membership or activity fees. If you would like a refund instead of a credit, please email refunds@CentralLions.org.